Clock and interval timer



Nov. 27, 1934. G. BROWNING CLOCK AND INTERVAL TIMER Filed March 5, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 27, 1934. sf BROWNING 1,932,495

CLOCK AND INTERVAL TIMER Filed March 5, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 p57 kzs Patented Nov. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE CLOCK AND INTERVAL TIMER corporation of Illinois Application March 5, 1932, Serial No. 596,958

7 Claims.

This invention relates to clocks and more particularly to clocks having improved interval timing mechanism associated therewith.

An important object of the invention is the provision of a clock and interval timing mechanism so associated as to produce a compact mechanism which may be disposed within a relatively small case and wherein the interval timing mechanism cooperates with the conventional dial of the clock for indicating the alarming times.

Another object of the invention is the provision of simplified setting and actuating mechanism for the interval timer.

A still further object is the provision of an interval timing mechanism wherein the setting and operating shaft is concentric with the conventional clock hand shafts and extends through the front of the clock for the setting thereof.

I have also aimed to provide clutch means in the interval timing mechanism having a part driven by the clock movement and a part adapted to be set from the front of the clock to various positions with respect to the first part to vary the timing interval.

Other objects and attendant advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l is a face view of the clock and timer;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic layout of the clock and timer movement simulating a section through the center of the clock;

Fig. 3 is a back view of the clock movement showing the clutch element in the retracted position;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the clutch element and switch in a position to actuate the signal means;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-'-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the disk element in its disengaged position;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5 showing the face of the driving element of the clutch; and

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 3 showing the rotatable switch element.

While numerous alterations and changes may be made in the device shown in the drawings I have herein shown a construction in which the clock is mounted in a clock case designated generally by the numeral 11, the case in this instance being one such as commonly employed for kitchen clocks, though the invention is by no means limited to any specific form of case. The case is provided with a suitable bezel 12 against which a crystal 13 may be advantageously positioned, the crystal having an axial opening 14 for a purpose presently to be described. The dial 15 of the clock is visible through the crystal and is provided with the usual hour designations as shown in large numbers, against which the conventional hour hand 16, minute hand 1'7, and second hand 18, are cooperable for the purpose of indicating the time of day. In addition to this scale, a second scale is provided near the periphery of the dial, in this instance bearing numerals indicating hours from 0 to 3, an alarm hand 19 being cooperable against this scale for the purpose of indicating the lapse of time between the instant of observation and the emission of a predetermined signal as will presently be more fully described. A setting knob 21 is positioned upon a shaft 22, outside the case, the shaft extending to the movement of the clock for the purpose of setting the hour hand 16 and the minute hand 17 of the clock. Electrical leads 23 extend out of the clock case and are adapted to be connected to a suitable source of electrical energy for the purpose of operating the clock.

In Figure 2 I have shown in more or less diagrammatical form a suitable type of clock movement and interval timing mechanism, the various parts being spread out for the purpose of facilitating the illustration of the principles involved. A plate 24 is secured at its opposite ends to the clock casing by means of screws or bolts adapted to pass through openings 25 and 26 for the purpose of securing the clock movement to the casing, the front plate 27, middle plate 28 and rear plate 29 of the movement being secured together and to the plate 24 by any suitable means, not shown. The dial 15 is supported against the forward side of the plate 24 so as to be visible through the crystal 13. In the present embodiment I have shown a movement driven by a synchronous nonself-starting motor having a coil 31, a laminated core 32, pole pieces 33 and. 34 and a rotor 35, the latter being supported upon a shaft 36. The shaft 36 also carries a pinion 37 arranged to drive the clock gearing. In the present embodiment this gearing consists of a gear 38 and pinion 39 fixedly attached thereto, the gear being driven from the pinion 37. The pinion 39 drives a gear 41 to which is fixedly attached a pinion 42, which meshes with a gear 43 axially and rotatably positioned upon an alarm setting shaft 44 which will shortly be described in more detail. A pinion 45 is fixedly secured to the gear 43. A gear 46 having a pinion 47 fixedly secured thereto is driven from the pinion 45. The pinion 47 meshes with a gear 48 which is rotatably mounted on a sleeve 49 surrounding the alarm setting shaft 44, this sleeve constituting the minute hand shaft of the clock and having a gear 51 at its inner end. A spring spider 52 acts between the frame plate 27 and the gear 48 to force the latter into frictional contact with the surface of the gear 51 so that the shaft 49 will normally rotate with the gear 48.

The gear 51 which rotates with the minute hand shaft 49 meshes with a gear 53 fixedly supported upon a rotatable. shaft 54. A gear 55 is also fixedly attached to the shaft 54 and serves to drive a gear 56 fixedly supported upon asleeve 57 which constitutes the hour hand shaft, the sleeve 57 being rotatably positioned about the minute hand shaft 49. The hour hand 16 is fixedly attached to the outer end of the sleeve 57. A gear 58 fixedly secured to a rotatable shaft 59 meshes with the gear 43 and serves to drive a gear 61 also fixedly supported upon the shaft 59. The gear 61 meshes with a gear 62 which is rotatably supported upon the hour hand shaft 57 and is provided with a socket 63 which receives the hub 64 of the second hand 18, the second hand rotating with the gear 62.

A bevel gear 50 is fixedly secured to the shaft 54 and meshes with a beveled gear 60 on the upper end of the shaft 22, the gears 50 and 60 serving to rotate the hands of the clock upon manual rotation of the knob 21 to set the time keeping hands of the clock.

The interval timing mechanism is driven through a sleeve 65 rotatably positioned on the alarm setting shaft 44 and extending between the plates 28 and 29. The front end of this sleeve is provided with a gear 66 which meshes with a gear 67 on the rotatable shaft 54, the sleeve 65 thereby being driven'directiy from the train which drives the hour hand of the clock. A clutch element or disk 68 is secured to the rear end of the sleeve 65 to rotate therewith. This may advantageously be accomplished by providing a shoulder or washer 69 near the outer end of the sleeve 65 which is held in position by a nut 70 of the shape shown in Fig. 8, the nut being thread ed onto the end of the sleeve. The rear of the disk 68 is crowned as shown at 71 and the nut is loosely received in a complemental opening in the .disk so that it may align itself with respect to the sleeve and other clutch elements presently to be described. The face of the clutch element 68 may advantageously be provided with serrations as shown at 72 to permit of efiicient frictional engagement with a friction element 73 ax-.

ially positioned on the alarm setting shaft 44 in abutting relationship to the element 68. A driven clutch element '74 is fixedly positioned on theinner end of the alarm setting shaft 44 and is adapted to be held in frictional driving contact with a frictional element 73 by a spring 76. The spring 76 is supported at one end on a spacer 77 by means of a screw 78 and at the opposite end bears against a projection 79 axially positioned on the driven element 74 of the clutch whereby the driving element 68, the frictional element '73 and the driven element 74 of the clutch are all normally held in driving relationship. The alarm setting shaft 44 extends through the opening 14 of the crystal and is provided at its outer end with a knob 81 for the purpose of manually rotatingthe shaft and the driven element '74 of the clutch. The timer hand 19 is fixedly secured to the alarm setting shaft 44 and serves to indicate against the dial the rotative position 03 the shaft 44 and the driven element 74 of the .clutch. the scale on the dial being graduated in terms of the time required for the driven element 74 and shaft 44 to be rotated back to a zero setting by rotation ofthe sleeve 65. The knob 81 also serves as a means whereby manual longitudinal movement may be imparted to the shaft 44 to separate the driven element 74 of the clutch from the friction element 73 thereof, for purposes presently to be described.

Referring now more specifically to Figures 3 to 9 inclusive, the driven element 74 of the clutch is provided with an outwardly extending finger 82 amxed thereto and arranged to rotate with rotation of this element. A flat spring 83 is secured to the frame plate 29 of the clock by means of a spacer and screw 84 and bears against the element 74 near its periphery. The spring is provided with a small inwardly projecting detent 85 which is adapted to slip into a small socket 86 on the element 74 when the element reaches the rotative position shown in Fig. 4 to resist rotation of the element 74 when the alarm setting shaft 44 is moved longitudinally inward to separate the clutch elements. The shapes of the detent 85 and the depression 86 are such as to permit disengagement when the shaft 44 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction. The free end of the spring 83 is held from lateralmovement by means of a pin 87 secured to the frame plate 29 and passing freely through an opening 88 in the spring. This construction permits movement at right angles to the frame plate 29 and prevents any substantial amount of movement in a plane parallel thereto.

In Figure 3 the driven element 74 of the clutch is shown in a rotative position such that when driven by the sleeve 65 at a timed rate, approximately one hour will be required for the projection 82 to reach the rotative position shown in Figure 4. The corresponding position of the hand 19 is shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, the dotted line position of the hand being directly over the numeral 1 of the outer scale. In this position the spring 76 will hold the clutch members together, causing the element 74 and the attached projection 82 to be rotated at a timed rate in a counterclockwise direction facing Figures 3, 4, and 6. The hand 19 on the alarm setting shaft 44 will pass through a corresponding angularity 125 from the dotted line position shown therein. Toward the close of such rotation of the element 74 the projection 82 will come into contact with the end of one leg 89 of a bell-crank switch lever 91 which is pivotally supported upon the plate 130 29 at 92 and forms part of signal control means comprising switch mechanism presently to be more fully described. Continued rotation of the element 74 brings about rotation of the lever 91 against the action of a spring 93, acting between 135 the fiat spring 76 and the opposite leg '94 of. the bell-crank lever, bringing the electrical contact points 95 and 96 together. The contact point 95 is positioned on a strip of insulation 97 which is secured to a flange 98 on the leg 94 of the 146 switch lever. The lower contact point 96 is positioned upon a strip of insulation 99, lying at right angles to the plane of the frame plate 29 and attached to a switch bracket 101 which is secured to one of the frame plates of the clock. 145 The contact points 95 and 96 will be maintained in contact so long as the projection 82 bears against the edge of the switch lever arm 89. At the same time slippage will occur between the clutch elements to permit the projection 82 to l50 Lei-52,495

exert a substantially .crm pressure against the leg 89. However, when the alarm setting shaft 44 is moved longitudinally inward the element '74 and projection 82 thereon are moved outward out of contact with the edge of the leg 89 so that the spring 93 may rotate the switch lever to the position shown in Figure 6, which separates the contact points 95 and 96 and brings the leg 89 of the switch lever back to a point such that when the knob 81 is released the projection 82 on the clutch element 74 will be forced against the outer side of the leg 89, the leg thus holding the clutch element 74 out of engagement with the friction element 73 thereof against the action of the spring 83. In this position the sleeve 65 and the clutch member 68 may rotate freely. The interval timing mechanism will remain in the position shown in Fig. 6 until the operator again rotates the knob 81 in a counterclockwise direction facing Figure 1 to cause the mechanism to again measure the lapse of a desired period of time. The mechanism will then repeat the operations just described.

The contact point 95 is connected to one of the leads 23 by means of a conductor 102 while thecontact point 96' is connected to a solenoid coil 103 by means of a conductor 104. The solenoid coil 103 is in turn connected to the opposite lead 23 by means of a conductor 105. The solenoid 103 is provided with a plunger 106 which is caused to alternately move back and forth within the solenoid by the passage of the alternating current therethrough, this movement of the plunger being cushioned by means of a spring 107. A screw 108 permits the regulation of the movement of the plunger. A bell 108 is positioned so that the plunger 106 will come into contact therewith at one end of its stroke whereby to sound an audible alarm upon actuation of the solenoid coil. The solenoid and bell are fixed to a plate 109 supported on the plate 24 of the clock movement.

Attention is directed to the fact that the time keeping hands of the clock are arranged in a substantially different order from that conventional- 1y employed, this arrangement permitting the alarm setting shaft 44 to be positioned in the center of the concentric hand shafts. Certain other innovations and novel timing train arrangements allow this difference in construction and also serve to drive the interval timing mechanism directly from the hour hand train of the clock.

Attention is also directed to the fact that the alarm setting shaft 44 passes through the center of the clock hand shafts and the pinion and gears which control these shafts and extends through the front of the clock so that the clock movement and the interval timing mechanism are substantially concentric, thereby materially reducing the space required to house the combined mechanism. The alarm setting shaft serves two distinct functions, that of rotating the clutch element '74, and that of moving the element to disengage the clutch. In like manner the switch lever 91 serves two separate functions;

that of closing the contact points 95 and 96 to cause the emission of the signal and that of holding the clutch element 74 in its disengaged position. The spring 83 having the projection 85 thereon, and the opening 86 in the element 74 serve to prevent the accidental resetting of the timing mechanism when the alarm is shut off by longitudinal movement of the alarm setting shaft. Without these elements it is possible that in pushing the button 81 inward, the shaft 44 might be given a slight backward turn so that the clutch instead of being disengaged might continue in engagement even though the signal ceased. Under these circumstances, the signal would again be emitted in a short interval. The elements mentioned, however, serve to prevent this because once the detent 85 rests within the depression or opening 86, a positive rotation of the knob 81 is required in order to unseat the detent.

While have described and illustrated a specific embodiment of my invention I am aware that numerous alterations and changes may be made therein without materially departing from the spirit oi the invention and the scope of the appended elaiuis, in which I claim:

1. A clock and interval timer having signal means including a clock movement, a clutch having a driving and a driven element. means for rotating said driving element from said clock movement, signal control means positioned to be actuated by said driven element at a predetermined rotative position. means for setting said driven element at a desired rotative position with respect to said predetermined position, means for 1 holding the driving and driven elements in engagement to cause said driven element to move with said driving element through a predetermined angularity to actuate said control means and render said signal means operative upon 1 the lapse of a measured period of time, and means for simultaneously disengaging said clutch and latching the same in a disengaged position.

2. A clock and interval timer having signal means including, a clock movement having a 1 plurality of concentric hand shafts extending to the front of said clock, an alarm setting shaft axially positioned within said hand shafts, a clutch having an element driven by said clock movement and a second element secured to said 1 alarm setting shaft, a signal control means, means on said second element for actuating said control means at a predetermined position of said element, means for normally holding said elements in engagement, and means for manually 1 disengaging said elements and rotating said alarm shaft and second element to set the angularity of the latter whereby to render said signal control means operative upon the lapse of a measured period of time.

3. In a clock and interval timer having signal means. a clock movement, a clutch comprising a disk continuously rotated at a timed rate by said movement, a second disk supported to be moved into and out of frictional engagement with 1 the first mentioned disk and to be rotated thereby when engaged, spring means for holding said disks in driving engagement, signal means, signal control means having a rotatable lever movable between a closed position to render the same 1 operative and an open position to render the signal means inoperative, spring means for normally holding said lever in the open position, a projection on said second disk for moving said lever to the closed position at a predetermined position of said second disk to render said signal means operative, and means for manually moving said second disk to various rotative positions with respect to said predetermined position, mov- 5 rotative movement oi. said second disk as the latter is moved out of engagement with the first disk.

5. A combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein means are provided on the lever for engaging said projection on the second disk to hold the latter in the disengaged position.

6. The combination in a clock and interval timer of the type having a dial provided with concentric clock and timer graduations, signal means, and a clock movement having concentric hand shafts extending through said dial, of an alarm setting shaft axially positioned within said hand shafts, means on the front of the clock for operating said setting shaft, a clutch element concentric on said alarm setting shaft rotatable thereon and geared to said movement, a second clutch element secured to said alarm setting shaft movable into and out of engagement with said first-mentioned clutch element to drive the latter, a switch lever movable between an open and a closed position, and means on said second clutch element positioned to move said lever to the closed position at a predetermined rotative position of the former to render said signal means operative, said alarm setting shaft being longitudinally movable to disengage said clutch elements and release said lever to render said signal means inoperative.

I. The combination in a clock and interval timer of the type having a dial provided with concentric clock and timer graduations, signal means, and a clock movement having concentric hand shafts extending through said dial, of an alarm setting shaft axially positioned within said hand shafts, means on the front of the clock for operating said setting shaft, a clutch element concentric on said alarm setting shaft rotatable thereon and geared to said movement, a second clutch element secured to said alarm setting shaft movable into and out of engagement with said first-mentioned clutch element to drive the latter, a switch lever movable between an open and a closed position, means on said second clutch element positioned to move said lever to the closed position at a predetermined rotative position of the former to render said signal means operative, spring means for normally returning and holding said lever in the open position. said alarm setting shaft being longitudinally movable to disengage said clutch elements and release said lever, and means on said lever for holding said second clutch element inv a disengaged position.

GEORGE BROWNING. 

